Electric muscular exercising apparatus.



No. 629,909. Patented Aug. i899. A. B. McMILLAN.

ELECTRIC IUSCULAR EXERCISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ARCHIE n. MOMILLAN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC MUSCULAR EXERCISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,909, dated August1, 1899.

Application filed June 14, 1898. Serial No. 688,416. (No model.)

To all 71171107111 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARCHIE B. MCMILLAN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of NewYork,county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Muscular Exercising Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of the same.

The invention subject of my present application is an improvementapplicable to exercising apparatus-such as chest-weights,rowing-machines,and the like which are provided with cords or strapsarranged to be drawn over a pulley or pulleys and caused to raiseweights or stretch elastic bands.

The object of the invention is to provide for the passage of an electriccurrent or succession of electric shocks through the portions of thebody of a person using the apparatus that are being exercised and toutilize a part of the power expended in exercise in generating theelectrical energy applied to this purpose. I accordinglyin carrying outmy invention pass the strap or cord which is attached to the weight orelastic band over a pulley which imparts rotation to a smallmagneto-electric generator and maintain suitable electric connectionsbetween the terminals of the generator and the handle or handlesattached to the cord. I also provide certain appliances which render theapparatus more effective and useful, the nature and purpose of whichwill be more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustrationof my improved exercising apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of thegenerator. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the generator, taken throughthe commutator. Fig. 4. is a diagram showing a transformer in connectionwith the generator and the necessary circuit connections. Fig. 5 shows amodified form of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, A designates any resisting device, such as one or moreelastic cords secured to a fixed support and attached to an ordinarycord or strap B. This latter is carried up over a pulley O on the shaftof or in gear withthe armature of a small magneto-generatorl), mountedin any convenient manner. To the end of the cord I3 are attached strapsorbandsE F, containing or composed of electric conductors, to which areconnected flexible conductors G, leading from the terminals of thegenerator D and of such lengths as to permit without becoming taut thecord B to be drawn out to its fullest extent. \Vith this arrangementwhen the cord B is drawn over the pulley a current is developed in thearmature-coils of the generator that passes from one handle to the otherthrough the body of the person exercising, and similarly when the cordis drawn back by the reaction of the elastic band.

The ends of the armature-winding are connected to the shaft G and to aninsulated ring II, respectively, and the conductors which convey thecurrents to the handles are connected with these two parts of thegenerator in any ordinary way; butinasmuch as it is desirable to use asmall and inexpensive magneto-machine the current from which iscomparatively feeble, I make special provision for intensifying itseifects by using a circuit-breaker such as is illustrated in Figs. 2 and3. I11 these figures K is a ringmounted on the shaft G and provided withinsulatingsegments L. I A brush M bears upon the ring H, and anotherbrush N bears on the ring K. The two brushes are electrically connectedand the ring K is in electrical contact with the shaft G. The wires forthe outer circuit are taken from the brush M and the shaft,respectively, as terminals. Vith this arrangementthe armature-winding isshortcircuited when brush N is in contact with the metal ring K, butbroken momentarily twice at each revolution at the instant that eachpulsation of current is at its maximum strength. At each break theelectromotive force of self-induction, which is much higher than theinitial lGOtPOll10tlV6 force, traverses the outer circuit, so that thereis thus produced a succession of strong shocks. The brush N is pivotedat 0, so as to be removable from contact with the ring K when'it isdesired to use simply the alternating current of the generator, and apin P is employed to hold it in position when in use. The corn struetionof the circuit-breaker is such that it operates equally well in eitherdirection of rotation of the armature.

I may use in conjunction with the generator and either with or withoutthe circuitbreaker a step-up transformer lV to still further raise theelectromotive force of the current. In such case I employ a two-wayswitch R, by means of which the transformer may be cut in orout ofcircuit. I also provide a foot-plate S, which may be used when desired,and provide a single switch T in connection therewith. \Vhen thefoot-plate is not used, the switch is turned to the position shown inFig. 4, the circuit being then completed between the two handles throughthe operators arms and body. lVhen the footplate is used, the switch Tis turned and the circuit is then completed through both handles inparallel and the operators arms, body, legs, and feet to the plate andback to the generator by the return-wire.

In order to provide for different frequency of the shocks, I use two ormore pulleys of different diameters, as shown in Fig. 2, for thepurpose-of varying the speed of the generator.

\Vithout departure from the invention, I may use two elastic bands andcords and a separate pulley for each. This is often desirable inapparatus of this kind. In such easesImount one of the pulleys, as C,loosely on its shaft and fix the other to the armatureshaft, as shown inFig. 5. In this form of the apparatus the generator is operated by onecord only, and the result is the same as in the other form of devicedescribed.

It will be understood that the details of the construction andarrangement of the generator and circuit connections may be widelyvaried without departure from the invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination, with an exercising apparatusoperated by drawing cords over a pulley, of a magneto-electric generatoroperated by the rotation of the pulley, the armaturewindings of thegenerator being connected at one end to the armatureshaft, an insulatedringgH, carried by the arm at-u re-shaf t to which the other end of thearmatnre-winding is connected, an outer circuit connected respectivelywith the said ring and the armatureshaft, and including parts of theexercising apparatus with which the user comes in contact, and aninterrupting device consisting of a conducting-ring K, connected withthe armature-shaft, and formed with insulated sections, a pivoted brushbearing on said ring, the said brush having electrical connection withthe ring H, and the ring K having connection with the armature-shaft,and means whereby the said brush may be held either in or out of contactwith the ringK, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an exercising apparatus operated by drawingcords over a pulley, of a magneto-electric generator operated by therotation of the pulley, an outer circuit including parts of theexercising apparatus suitably connected with the generator whereby thecurrents developed thereby may be caused to pass through said outercircuit, an interrupting device whereby the armaturewinding of thegenerator may be short-circuited intermittently as the armature isrotated, such interrupting device including a pivoted conducting part,whereby it may be thrown into and out of operation, a transformer forraising the potential of the current generated, and switch and circuitconnections between said transformer and the generator, substantially asset forth.

The combination of an exercising apparatus operated by drawing cordsover a pulley, and provided with a pair of handles, a

magneto-electric generator operated by the rotation of the pulley of theexercising apparatus, an outer circuit including the said l1andles ofthe exercising apparatus and conneeted with the opposite ends of thearmature-winding, a foot-plate, a circuit connection between thefoot'plate and one end of the armature-winding and a switchdevice,whereby the connections with the handles may be arranged inseries, the current then going through the arms and trunk of the user,or whereby the foot-plate may be cut into the circuit, when the currentpasses through both handles and the arms of the user in parallel, andthence through the trunk and legs of the user to the foot-plate, and byits circuit con nection is returned to the generator, substantially asset forth.

ARCHIE l3. MCMILLAN. W'itnesses:

M. LAWSON Dyna, G. W. MARTLING.

